SWEET MAYA - SWEET MAYA (PP 1977) Korean mastering cardboard sleeve

The story of Sweet Maya is one that spans 40 years and involves a set of relationships that have remained strong despite time and distance.
The first chapter started in 1968 when Gail met John. As she recalls it “I met John prior to graduation and my most favorite memories involve a trip to a nightclub to hear a hot band, John being invited on stage to jam, and his horn turning the crowd upside down!”
It was after Gail and John came to Kalamazoo that the third piece of the Sweet Maya puzzle moved into place. As Gail describes it “I met Janice Lakers in a music theory class, we were the top two students. We got together one evening to sing and that's all it took. In short time we formed a folk duo, both of us playing guitars and Janice doubling on flute and percussion. John was always on the sidelines of our duo, helping us with arrangements, and sitting in with us when he could.” It was with the formation of this trio that the core of Sweet Maya was formed and plans for expansion were laid. Tom Davis, a drummer John worked with in a previous group quickly followed by guitarist/bassist Tom Hill.
Thus Sweet Maya was born.
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Where there had only been two now there were five but the sound of the band continued to be a work in progress. Feeling the need for a dedicated bassist and a more driving sound, the core Mayans sent out a call to audition bass players from around the area. Many tried out and all had their advantages yet in the end one player stood out among the rest, securing a sought after place in a successful local band. The one selected was Mark Bowen completing the six member, multi-instrumentalist band.
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Maya strived towards continuous improvement and as the rhythm section continued to strengthen the inherent weakness became the lack of a solid guitar soloist. Tom Hill, who had several creative differences with the core group, left the band as Sweet Maya ushered in the last piece of the puzzle, Rob Hayes. This formed the band that most remember as Sweet Maya and its performances drew huge audiences earning it a reputation as one of the foremost musical groups in the mid-western United States.[htpp://www.sweetmayamusic.com/]
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An obscure bit of mellow soul and vocals from this lost 70s Michigan combo! The group have a sound that's almost a 70s take on the groove of Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – one that uses dual vocals to expand the front end of many of the tunes, plus some lightly dancing electric rhythms that really step out with some great fusiony touches on the best numbers. There's a great groovy soul and soft rock vibe to it – and titles include "Surround Me", "Gotta Find Out", "Papa Taco", "People Suite", "Good Day", and "The Earth Has. [Dusty Groove America]
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The music of Sweet Maya (originally formed in 1972 in Kalamazoo, MI) is an extension of each member. As individuals they bring together diverse backgrounds; as a group they blend it all into a sound that is exciting and full of warmth. This six-piece group of multi-talented instrumentalists has five lead singers, four songwriters and four arrangers. The music that grows from the contact of such persons is evidenced in this album. It is Sweet Maya (the illusion) that flows through and shapes the many idioms of their music. It is Rob Hayes, Tom Davis, Janice Lakers, Gail Baker, John Chamberlin and Mark Bowen who convey the experience. Listed in the Japanese book Rare Groove A To Z on Rittor Music and recommended for funk/soul/soft rock fans. Perfect music for putting on a pair of rainbow-colored overalls and hanging out in a field, zoning out or blissfully grooving.
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It is really a very good album .... don't miss it!
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JOHNNY TILLOTSON - BEST [His First Album] (CADENCE 1962) JVC K2 HD mastering cardboard sleeve + 12 bonus

Tillotson was born April 20, 1939, in Jacksonville, FL, the son of Jack Tillotson, a country music disc jockey, and Doris Tillotson. When Tillotson was nine, he moved 40 miles to the smaller Florida town of Palatka. He got his first exposure as a singer on his father's radio station while he was still a child. His primary interest was country music, although he was inspired when he saw Elvis Presley perform in Jacksonville on May 13, 1955, just after he had turned 14. Meanwhile, his radio work led to a stint on a local TV show and even his own program. But he maintained his studies, and he was attending the University of Florida as a journalism and composition major in 1957 when he entered a national talent contest sponsored by Pet Milk. He was chosen as one of six finalists, resulting in a trip to Nashville, TN, for the final judging. He did not win the contest, but while in Nashville he came to the attention of a song publisher who was impressed by songs he had written and got a tape of them to Archie Bleyer, owner of the independent Cadence Records label, home to the Everly Brothers and Andy Williams. Bleyer signed Tillotson to a three-year contract and, in September 1958, issued his first single, combining two of the singer's own compositions, the ballad "Dreamy Eyes" and the up-tempo "Well I'm Your Man," both of which bore similarities to the sound of Buddy Holly. "Well I'm Your Man" charted first, peaking at number 87 in the Hot 100 in October, but "Dreamy Eyes" followed, topping out at number 63 in January 1959. (The simultaneously released "I'm Never Gonna Kiss You," a duet with Genevieve, a singer on the Jack Parr TV show, did not chart.)
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The relative failure of "Dreamy Eyes" sent Tillotson back to college, where he received his B.A. in 1959; that August 1959 Cadence released his next single, "True True Happiness," a song in the currently popular teen pop style, complete with recitations of romantic devotion; it petered out at number 54 in September. "Why Do I Love You So," which followed in December, suggested that Tillotson had been listening closely to Ricky Nelson's 1958 hit "Poor Little Fool"; it reached number 42 in February 1960. Next, Bleyer tried having Tillotson cover a couple of old R&B hits, combining the Penguins' "Earth Angel" and Johnny Ace's "Pledging My Love." Disc jockeys couldn't seem to decide which side of the single to play, and both peaked in the bottom half of the Hot 100 in May.
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Tillotson broke through to success with his sixth single, the bouncy pop/rock tune "Poetry in Motion," released in September 1960. He and Bleyer had finally found an appropriate forum for his clear tenor voice, recording with a Nashville studio full of country music session stars like saxophonist Boots Randolph and pianist Floyd Cramer. "Poetry in Motion" peaked at number two in November 1960; in the U.K., it hit number one in January 1961. Instead of immediately turning to extensive personal appearances, however, on Bleyer's advice Tillotson focused primarily on his recording career, though he appeared on television and began to be featured in teen magazines. "Jimmy's Girl," his next single, responded to this teen idol image, but it stopped at number 25 in February 1961. Singing another of his own compositions, Tillotson produced "Without You," a dramatic, string-filled production in the manner of Roy Orbison; it reached number seven in September 1961. Cadence then re-released Tillotson's first single, "Dreamy Eyes," and it got to number 35 in January 1962.[allmusic]
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MAMA CASS - DREAM A LITTLE DREAM (ABC-DUNHILL 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 2 bonus

At the time the Mamas & the Papas broke up in 1968, it was painfully obvious that Dunhill Records was placing all their bets on Elliot as far as a successful solo recording career. They certainly had good reason. While Elliot wasn't always the lead voice on the hits (Denny Doherty usually was), she provided the sound that brought the vocal majesty together, as well as an image. The "final" Mamas single, "Dream a Little Dream," was now billed as a "Mama Cass" single, and Dunhill quickly brought her into the studio for an album. The result is one of her finest, and an important sociological record, too. It can easily be described as the sound of Laurel Canyon in 1968, with songs by Graham Nash (whom Elliot was in the process of introducing to Stills and Crosby), John Sebastian, and Robbie Robertson. John Simon exquisitely produced this album, employing his "nuts and bolts" technique that was so effective on his work with the Band. It was a great start for her solo career. Unfortunately after this, Elliot fell into the record industry machinery, and quickly began turning out bubblegum hits that weren't really where she was at. This sounds like a place closer to her heart, and to listeners' hearts as well.[allmusic]
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B.J. THOMAS - I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY (SCEPTER 1966) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 5 bonus

B.J.Thomas was raised in and around Houston, Texas, graduating from Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg. Before his solo career, Thomas sang in a church choir as a teenager then joined the musical group The Triumphs. During his senior year he made friends with Roy Head of Roy Head and The Traits. The Traits and the Triumphs held several Battle of the Bands events in the early 1960s featuring Head and Thomas.

In 1966, B. J. Thomas and The Triumphs released the album, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Pacemaker Records). The album featured a hit cover of the Hank Williams song, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. In the same year, Thomas released a solo album of the same name on Scepter Records.
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What distinguishes I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry is the title tune, B.J.’s take on the Hank Williams classic. The original single was a big hit in his hometown of Houston, TX, and as such led to his contract with Scepter Records.
The record features another Hank cover, “There’ll Be No Teardrops Tonight,” a weepy ballad that Thomas gives his all to. As was the rather common practice for a new artist in 1966, B.J. recorded a few other well-known songs, including versions of “It’s Not Unusual,” and “In The Midnight Hour.”
A songwriting friend of B.J.’s from Houston, Mark Charrone wrote five songs that were included on I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry. One of his specialties was in the art of the one word song title: “Mama,” “Wendy,” “Terri,” and “Maria.” The fifth? Two words: “I Wonder"...
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JULIE LONDON - YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY (LIBERTY 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

REQUEST No 4
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Pop standards vocalist/actress Julie London was definitely at a transitional phase in her career when she cut Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (1969) -- the final entry in her decade-and-a-half long relationship with Liberty Records. Modern listeners will revel in the obvious kitsch factor of a middle-aged, old-school female who is crooning rock & roll. Rightly so, as the two musical universes rarely collided with a lucrative outcome. However, just below the genre-bending veneer lie interesting interpretations of concurrently well-known selections with the occasional sleeper gem thrown in. The lush and admittedly antiquated orchestration doesn't mask London's smoky and smouldering pipes, and some scores definitely work better than others. The opening cover of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic," the adaptation of the Beatles' "And I Love Her," and the remarkably evocative "Hushabye Mountain" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) are each superior matches of artist with repertoire. Less successful is Harry Nilsson's "Without Him" [aka "Without Her"] as it lacks the urgency of Blood, Sweat & Tears' rendering or the pithy of Nilsson's original. The remake of Spanky & Our Gang's "Like to Get to Know You" is similarly short on soul, although it lends itself to the middle-of-the-road (MOR) feel, as does "It's Nice to Be With You." That said, the latter is infinitely more tolerable in this context than it was on the Davy Jones' warbled Monkees' single. The seeming incongruity of London's take on the Doors' "Light My Fire" isn't all that odd until she lets her hair down (so to speak) and slips into something right out of The Graduate's Mrs. Robinson. There are several instances of 'What were they thinking?,' such as the practically surreal "Mighty Quinn (Quinn, The Eskimo)" which sounds like it was the result of a Quaalude-related encounter. By the time we roll around to the title track, one can't tell if London is trying to be sexy or is simply hung over. "Sunday Morning" -- the second nod to Spanky & Our Gang -- also makes London come off as either bored or sleepy, either of which will be the effect that a majority of the album will inevitably have on 21st century ears. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
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"Yummy, Yummy, Yummy," the album's title track, was a very recent Top 5 bubblegum hit for Ohio Express that featured the adenoidal vocals of the song's co-writer, Joey Levine. The listener will immediately note that, unlike the original, which sounds like a children's song, London's rendition of "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" seems quite serious. The apparent absence of irony makes this recording an exceedingly dry joke, a visionary feat of interpretation, or both. The real irony is that "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" has become London's second best-remembered single after "Cry Me a River"--it was reissued on one of Capitol's Ultra-Lounge compilations in the '90s and, more recently, was included on the soundtrack of the HBO television series Six Feet Under.
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THE INNOCENCE - THE INNOCENCE (KAMA SUTRA 1967) JVC K2 mastering cardboard sleeve + 3 bonus

REQUEST No 2
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In 1966 Peter Andreoli (aka Peter Anders) and Vincent Poncia, Jr. members of the Tradewinds changed their name to The Innocence, recorded a full-length eponymous album, and had two further hit singles, “There’s Got to Be a Word!” (U.S. #34, 1966) and “Mairzy Doats” (U.S. #75, 1967). Following the LP release the duo released another album under the name Anders & Poncia on Warner Bros. Records in 1969, and shortly after broke up. (Wiki)
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DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH - TOGETHER (FONTANA 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 14 bonus

REQUEST No 1
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"Together", originally released in 1969, was the fourth and the last album to be released as Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mich & Tich. Throughout 1966-68 the songwriting team Howard/Blaikley had written most of their material and thus given them 10 top-twenty hit-singles. Most of these songs were really great and are still very listenable.There had been a great varity in style among these hit-singles and this trend continued on their 1969 recordings. But somehow it seems the inspiration had run dry, because, though both "Snake in the Grass" and "Don Juan" reached the 23 spot, it's like the charm and magic isn't there anymore. The Howard/Blaikley songs on "Together" are simply not up to their usual standards; a tendency which already could be sensed on the previous album.
Of course there are a few exceptions, which make the album worthwhile. "Love is a Drum" is a good song, with a great arrangement, and though "First Time Loving" is pretty light-weight it has its charm. "Run Colorado" is also okay.[Morten Vindberg-Amazon]
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TURTLES - TURTLE SOUP (WHITE WHALE 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

POSTED BY REQUESTS...
Though many remember only their 1967 hit, "Happy Together," the Turtles were one of the more enjoyable American pop groups of the '60s, moving from folk-rock inspired by the Byrds to a sparkling fusion of Zombies-inspired chamber pop and straight-ahead, good-time pop reminiscent of the Lovin' Spoonful, the whole infused with beautiful vocal harmonies courtesy of dual frontmen Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. Though they hit number one in 1967 with the infectious "Happy Together," the Turtles scored only three more Top Ten hits and broke up by the end of the '60s. Kaylan and Volman later joined Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention during the early '70s and also recorded themselves as Flo & Eddie, but were on the oldies circuit with a revamped Turtles by the mid-'80s.
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The group's final album, produced by Ray Davies, is a modestly enjoyable collection of good-time rock, occasionally with a slight progressive or satirical edge. The Turtles always seemed to harbor some serious ambitions, but the fact was that their only true forte was catchy pop/rock singles; when they aimed for more, the results were merely pleasant...There aren't any hit singles missing in action here, except maybe "You Don't Have to Walk in the Rain...
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JACKIE LOMAX - IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT? (APPLE 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 5 bonus

...In early 1962, Jackie Lomax left Dee and the Dynamites to join Merseybeat band The Undertakers. They followed the same route as The Beatles through local venues before setting out for Hamburg, Germany and finally securing a record deal. From that point onwards, they were dogged by ill-luck and lack of success. They signed with Pye Records and released four singles which only managed to place one week on the British charts between them. In 1965 they moved to America to try their luck there.
After two years in America with The Undertakers and a couple of other groups, Jackie Lomax's latest band, The Lomax Alliance, were taken back to Britain in 1967 by Brian Epstein to showcase them at the Saville Theatre in London. He arranged for a single and an album to be recorded and they signed to CBS. Epstein's untimely death ruined the plans for the band. During that period CBS released two Lomax Alliance singles and one solo Jackie Lomax single. More than enough tracks for an album were recorded but it was never released.
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As 1968 opened, however, opportunity beckoned for Jackie Lomax, with the founding of Apple Records by the Beatles. George Harrison remembered the singer well from the other end of the decade in Liverpool, and in March of that year, the Beatles guitarist recorded Lomax on a pair of songs, "Little Yellow Pills" and "Won't You Come Back." He was happy enough with the session to have Lomax back to record a song he'd written specifically for him in India, called "Sour Milk Sea," in what amounted to a busted Beatles session featuring Harrison and Lomax on rhythm guitars, Eric Clapton on lead, Paul McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr at the drum kit, and Nicky Hopkins on piano. Backed with Lomax's "The Eagle Laughs at You," the song came out in August of 1968. Buoyed by positive reviews and an enthusiastic response on the radio, it seemed to herald great things for Lomax, so much so that Harrison recorded three additional songs with him in London during August and September, and six more songs in Los Angeles in October, this time availing themselves of Hal Blaine, Larry Knechtel, and Joe Osborn as session musicians. The result was the Jackie Lomax LP Is This What You Want?, issued in March of 1969 -- the latter never charted but, thanks to the single, good word-of-mouth, and the presence of an all-star lineup, it did sell gradually and steadily. In March of 1969, Paul McCartney took over producing Lomax on a cover of the Coasters' song "Thumbin' a Ride" and a Lomax original, "Going Back to Liverpool." And in April of 1969, Lomax produced himself on his own "New Day," which became the A-side of "Thumbin' a Ride." All of these records attracted attention but none charted, and following one last Harrison-produced single, "How the Web Was Woven," in October of 1969, Lomax's history with Apple came to an end...
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HAMILTON, JOE FRANK & REYNOLDS - SAME (ABC/DUNHILL 1970) Jap 24 bit mastering

This soft rock trio from Los Angeles, California consisted of guitarist Dan Hamilton (originally from Wetnatchee, Washington), bassist Joe Frank Carollo (from Leland, Mississippi) and drummer Tommy Reynolds (from New York City). The three first came together in a studio instrumental group known as The T-Bones. During the early sixties, it was not uncommon for a record company to release material recorded by studio sessionmen and pass it off to the unsuspecting public as being recordings by a real, live rock 'n' roll ensemble.
The first LPs by the T-Bones, "Boss Drag" and "Boss Drag At The Beach", were released in 1964 to exploit the craze for instrumentals evoking surf and hot-rod themes. "Doin' The Jerk" followed the next year, to capitalize on the huge west coast dance craze, The Jerk. The T-Bones became a notable one-hit-wonder in late 1965 with a number three, U.S. hit called "No Matter What Shape Your Stomach's In", a composition by Sascha Burland based on an Alka-Seltzer commercial. An album of the same name became the group's only pop chart entry at number 75. A follow-up single, "Sippin' And Chippin'", which was based on a Nabisco jingle, stalled at number 62 and the album of the same name did not chart at all. The last T-Bones LP was "Everyone's Gone To The Moon", late in 1966.
Hamilton, Carollo and Reynolds finally tired of the studio grind and formed a trio under their own names, signing with Dunhill Records. Their first two singles were released in 1971, but "Annabella" and "Daisy Mae" failed to reach the U.S. charts or get much radio play. Their third effort however, "Don't Pull Your Love" became a smash hit, climbing to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, although it failed to chart at all in the UK. A long line of follow-up singles were issued, but none could match the band's earlier success and by early 1973, Tommy Reynolds left, joining another group called Shango.
In one of the boldest moves in rock & roll history, either Hamilton and Carollo or Dunhill Records hired singer Alan Dennison to take Reynolds' place, yet didn't change the name of the band! The assumption must have been that it was foolish to risk what little name recognition the floundering group already had.
The band continued to struggle artistically until 1975 when they released "Fallin' In Love", an easy listening ballad that was perfect for the adult oriented, FM soft rock market. The record shot up the U.S. charts, eventually hitting number one, while climbing to number 33 in the UK.
Feeling more like hit makers again, the band changed its name in 1976 to more accurately reflect the new line-up, and became "Hamilton, Joe Frank and Dennison". Under that name, they released one more minor U.S. hit called "Don't Fight The Hands (That Need You"). After that, the hits dried up completely and the trio went their separate ways.
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HARPERS BIZZARE - ANYTHING GOES (WARNER BROS 1967) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 2 bonus

Harpers Bizarre's second album, released in 1967, is a joy for pop music lovers, and the best of their four Warner Brothers releases. The opening, "This is Only the Beginning," establishes a faux radio broadcast typical of the 1940's, leading directly into the opening verse of "Anything Goes," sung by Cole Porter himself! This segues into the group's performance of the song (featuring Van Dyke Parks on piano; check out his later work, both solo and with the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson), and is followed by another Cole Porter tune, "Two Little Babes In the Wood," again featuring Porter's own voice on the intro. Naturally, these two songs sport some of the cleverest lyrics ever written. These are followed by the first of two songs by one of the 20th century's greatest songwriters, Randy Newman, "The Biggest Night of her Life," a sweet, uptempo song with an instrumental break the flapper set will love. Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen's title song from the movie "Pocketful of Miracles" is a pure joy, and is followed by another Randy Newman song, "Snow," a beautiful, moody, emotional piece. This is followed by a cover of the big band-era classic, Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo," in a sparkling arrangenment that pays homage to the original. "Hey You In the Crowd," an original by Ted Templeman and Dick Scoppettone of the group, is an unptempo charmer presented in a faux-live-on-stage style. Doug Kershaw's classic "Louisiana Man" and the Edith Piaf classic "Milord" both get top-flight treatments here, followed by another Templeman/Scoppettone original, "Virginia City". "Jessie" by Jimmy Griffin (later to be a member of Bread, and to win an Oscar for co-writing "For All We Know" from the movie "Lovers and Other Strangers") is an urban mood piece with a melody that owes a lot to George Gershwin. David Blue's "You Need A Change" is a lost gem, and makes you wonder why Blue never won wider acceptance. The original album closes with "High Coin," by the brilliant Van Dyke Parks. It's unusual, as you would expect from Parks, but the Harpers handle it with aplomb.There are two bonus tracks, "Malibu U," by Don and Dick Addrisi (of "Never My Love" fame), the theme from a frothy little TV series of the day; and the 45rpm version of Kenny Rankin's "Cotton Candy Sandman," a different version of which would appear on the LP "Harpers Bizarre 4". (Neither of these bonus tracks has appeared on LP or CD before.) The arrangements on this album are absolutely top-notch, and much credit goes to Perry Botkin, Jr., Nick de Caro, Bob Thompson, and Van Dyke Parks, as well as Ron Elliott of the Beau Brummels, a group which also spawned the Harpers' own John Petersen...[net]
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HARPERS BIZARRE - FEELIN' GROOVY (WARNER BROS 1967) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 2 bonus

If any group and song was the prototype for sunshine pop, it would be Harpers Bizarre and their hit version of "Feelin' Groovy". Their high range choir boy harmonies, positive themed material, and sophisticated arrangements were all part of the genre's model.
Along with Spanky and Our Gang, The Association, The Sunshine Company, The Free Design, The Cowsills, and the Fifth Dimension, Harpers Bizarre produced music that poured out of AM radios in the 1960's.
"Feelin' Groovy featuring 59th St. Bridge Song" was the first LP release for the group in 1967.
The production pattern ,set on this release, was as follows: regardless of the song style, each song is gussied up in the Harpers Bizarre sound of Ted Templeman and Dick Scoppettone's voices singing soft and high; lush background harmonies weaving in and out of orchestration with strings, flutes, oboes, horns; and John Petersen drumming with brushes to tie it all together.
The title song reached #13 on the charts in 1967 and its soaring Van Dyke Parks composed follow up "Come to The Sunshine" reached #37 that same year.
The LP contained a catchy version of "Happy Talk" from the musical "South Pacific"; a couple of smooth pop nuggets ("Come Love"and "Raspberry Rug"); and three Randy Newman tunes("Simon Smith and The Amazing Dancing Bear", "Happyland", and "The Debutante's Ball").
Bonus tracks include two original songs recorded when the group was known as The Tikis-"Bye Bye Bye" and "Lost My Love Today". The vocals are similar, but the accompaniment is pure British Invasion garage guitar and drums.
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Additional personnel: Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman (piano).
Mojo (Publisher) (3/02, p.120) - "...Whether drawing on folk, country, soul, Roaring Twenties or baroque influences, they liked to put the 'shh!' into kitsch....They are fascinating....Their lush vocals and elaborate orchestrations are strangely affecting....highly enjoyable..."
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THE LOVE GENERATION - MONTAGE (IMPERIAL 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

Of the many sunshine pop groups that proliferated in Southern California in the late '60s, the Love Generation were one of the most wholesome and downright sunniest. "Sunniest" is not necessarily synonymous with "best," even for a genre called "sunshine pop." The Love Generation's records were about as over-the-top as their name in their smiley-face, see-no-evil, upbeat, even anodyne harmonized pop/rock, commercial enough to often be mistaken for commercial jingles. Taking the advances of sunshine pop godfathers and godmothers the Mamas & the Papas to the most saccharine extremes (with echoes of the Beach Boys and the Association as well), the Love Generation released three albums in 1967 and 1968, getting small hit singles with "Groovy Summertime" and "Montage From How Sweet It Is (I Knew That You Knew)." The Love Generation were not quite as faceless as some acts plundering this territory, though, as much of their material was written by brothers John Bahler and Tom Bahler. The arrangements were densely crafted blends of male-female vocal harmonies and orchestrated pop/rock that put quite a bit of frosting on the incessantly chipper tunes.
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At its outset, the group was a sextet of the Bahler Brothers, ex-New Christy Minstrels member Ann White, Marilyn Miller (who had supplied Sally Field's singing voice on the Gidget TV show), Mitch Gordon, and Jim Wasson. John Bahler took the greatest share of the lead vocals, and session musicians played the instruments. The lyrics often tapped into the most optimistic and innocuous traits of the early hippie generation, with references to love-ins, sunshine (naturally), summer, dreams, candy, and magic peppering not just the words but the song titles: "Fluffy Rain," "Meet Me at the Love-In," "Consciousness Expansion," "Love and Sunshine," "Candy," "Magic Land," and "Love Is a Rainy Sunday" were just some of them.
The group really existed in name only by the third and last album, Montage, on which only the Bahlers and producer/arranger Tommy Oliver were listed in the liner notes. Gordon, White, and the Bahlers all sang as studio backup vocalists in subsequent years, with Tom Bahler writing songs for others including Cher ("Living in a House Divided") and Michael Jackson ("She's Out of My Life"), as well as co-writing "We Are the World." The Bahlers might be most famous/notorious, though, for recording and supplying several songs used in early episodes of The Partridge Family, several of them appearing (with the Bahlers' lead vocals) on the Partridge Family's first album. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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DAVE DEE,DOZY,BEAKY,MICK & TICH - IF NO-ONE SANG (FONTANA 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 10 bonus

The third DDDBM&T album!
One more left!!!!....lol
As the sound of 'Swinging London' evolved from the mod rock and pop scene, so did Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (DD, D, B, M & T), which featured Dave "Dee" Harman (guitar/vocals), Trevor "Dozy" Davies (bass), John "Beaky" Diamond (rhythm guitar), Michael "Mick" Wilson (drums), and Ian "Tich" Amey (lead guitar). The quintet's third long-player, If No One Sang (1968), reflects the progression within the genre and is arguably the combo's most musically satisfying and eclectic outing. It would likewise be the final full-length platter that they would issue prior to Dee's departure in the summer of 1969. Although success in the States remained elusive, they continued to produce hits throughout England and Germany. Specifically, the nonsensical "Zabadak" and the chart-topping "Legend of Xanadu" became definitive entries in their catalog. True to their previous hits, the songwriting team of Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley — who also managed the band — centered their material on catchy, if not somewhat quirky, melodies with highly singable choruses. However the title composition, "If No One Sang" — which bookends the effort with a pair of renderings — demonstrates DD, D, B, M & T's versatility. The dark chord progressions and solitude of the desolate acoustic guitar and solo vocal immediately suggest the more mature tenor of the material. The introspective and slightly baroque ballad "Where From, Where To?" as well as the lightly orchestrated samba-tinged cover of Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter" are other examples of the more thoughtful and reflective nature of the tunes. "Time to Take Off" is a punchy, driving waltz arrangement that propels the melodies Latin-flavored overtones. Considerably more theatrical is the overtly Mediterranean sound of the aforementioned "Legend of Xanadu," which also became a showstopper thanks to the dramatic crack of Dee's whip. If No One Sang was issued on CD with ten supplementary sides, consisting of non-LP singles, as well as Italian versions of both "Zabadak" and "Save Me," the latter of which is titled "Follemente Vivo."
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CRISPIAN ST PETERS - FOLLOW ME... (DECCA 1966) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 15 bonus

As a young man, St. Peters performed in several relatively unknown bands in England. In 1956, he gave his first live performance, as a member of The Hard Travellers. Through the late 1950s and early 1960s, he was a member of The Country Gentlemen, Beat Formula Three, and Peter & The Wolves. In 1964, as a member of Peter & The Wolves, St. Peters made his first commercial recording.
St. Peters was signed to Decca Records in 1965. His first two singles on this record label, "No No No" and "At This Moment", proved unsuccessful on the charts. He made two television appearances in England in February of that year, featuring in the shows Scene At 6.30 and Ready Steady Go!
In 1966, St. Peters' career finally yielded a Top 10 hit in the UK Singles Chart, with "You Were On My Mind", a song first recorded in 1964 by the Canadian folk duo, Ian & Sylvia, and a hit in the United States for We Five in 1965. St. Peters' single eventually hit #2 in the UK and was then released in the U.S. on the Philadelphia-based Jamie Records label. It did not chart in the U.S. at first, however his fourth release, "The Pied Piper", became forever known as his signature song. Under manager David Nicolson's tutelage the shy star was momentarily transformed into arrogance incarnate and astonished the conservative music press of the period by his suggestion that he had written 80 songs of better quality than those of The Beatles. Other stars were also waved aside as St. Peters announced that he was better than Elvis Presley: "I'm going to make Presley look like the Statue of Liberty . . . I am sexier than Dave Berry and more exciting than Tom Jones . . . and the Beatles are past it". Outraged readers denounced him in letters columns. However, St. Peters' comments were meant to be tongue-in-cheek as he explained in an interview by Douglas Antreassian entitled "Then and Now - Britain's Pied Piper Sets The Record Straight". St. Peters returned stronger than ever with "The Pied Piper", a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
"The Pied Piper" had been recorded in 1965 by its writers, Steve Duboff and Artie Kornfeld, as The Changin' Times, but it was St. Peters' version in 1966 that made it into a hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #5 in the UK. No subsequent release would ever match the success of "The Pied Piper", although its success helped boost "You Were On My Mind" into the U.S. Top 40. Thereafter St. Peters was remembered more for his idle boasts than his music.
In 1966, St. Peters released his first LP, Follow Me, which was followed by his first EP, Almost Persuaded, yet by 1970, he was dropped by Decca....[net]
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JIMMY VANN BAND - THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE SKY (KALEIDOSOUND 1971) Jap/Kor mastering cardboard sleeve + 2 bonus

[ANOTHER REQUEST....]
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The Jimmy Vann Band made sweet music, a hybrid of soft pop and mellow jazz. 'The Upper Left Hand Corner Of The Sky' is a collection of pure hearted music that soothes the soul. The title track, composed by Buddy Prima (nephew of the legendary Louis Prima), has become a classic of the soft pop genre.Polished & whistle-clean cocktail bar jazz band doing Association vocals, other AM radio knockoffs. Chord changes are cool, & backup vox are soft & groovy, but very produced...
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The upper left hand corner of the sky is a very groovy place -- thanks to warm vocals and a sunny groove from the Jimmy Vann Band! The group's a trio, of the hotel/cocktail variety -- but they've also got plenty of Sunshine Pop touches too -- a mixture of male and female vocals, and a real love of catchy, jangly rhythms on their upbeat tunes! Although issued on a small west coast label, the set's got all the sparkle of better-known gems on A&M or Capitol at the time -- a professional, focused sound that's never too cheesy, and always sweetly compelling. Instrumentation includes organ, piano, accordion, flute, and trumpet -- and titles are almost all originals, and pretty darn great overall! Titles include "The Upper Left Hand Corner Of The Sky", "Circle V", "I'm Just Me", "Cowboys Never Cry", "Break Tune", "Everything That's True Is Blue", and "The Music Is Love". CD features 2 bonus tracks too -- "How Do You Tell A Child", and "I Love You More Each Day".[Dusty Groove America]
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Remastered with tender loving care, this reissue brings you the original magic and melody of this long lost album. This first official CD-release comes in an LP miniature sleeve including obi. 24 bit digital remastered from the original master tapes.
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HAGOOD HARDY & THE MONTAGE - MONTAGE (GRT 1970) Jap/Kor mastering cardboard sleeve

[...BY REQUEST!!]
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Dreamy vocal pop from early 70s Canada -- a set that owes a lot to the 60s sweetness of Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66! The Montage have an approach that's a bit more rock-based overall, but there's definitely some Sergio-like touches in the music -- especially the way the two female vocalists sing together in a nicely spaced-out sort of sound -- warm, but with an undercurrent of coldness -- mixed in with some very groovy rhythms from Hagood Hardy on vibes, electric piano, marimba, and percussion! There's also a fair bit of bossa in the mix too -- not as overtly as on Brasil 66 records, and more filtered down into a 70s sort of hipness -- expanded out with wider pop influences, and some traces of Sunshine styles as well. Titles include great versions of "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "Come Saturday Morning", "Baby I'm A Want You", "Guantanamera", "It's Too Late/I Feel The Grass Grow Under My Feet", and "If" -- and the record would be right at home on A&M! [Dusty Groove America]
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Hardy is best remembered as a composer of TV advertising jingles and his 1975 hit The Homecoming (originally written to advertise tea). Before that he had a jazz tinged pop group called Montage (not the band featuring Left Banke- and Stories member Michael Brown) and they made this excellent album featuring treasures such as a brilliant reworking of Vince Guaraldi's 'Cast Your Fate To The Wind' and Dory Previn & Fred Carlin's bittersweet 'Come Saturday Morning'.
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Hardy started his professional career as a vibraphonist in 1956 at the House Of Hamburg. After relocating to New York in the early '60's he became a much-in-demand performer with all of the Jazz elite including The Village Vanguard.
He began touring with the likes of Herbie Mann, George Shearing and Martin Denny for nearly seven years in such places as Las Vegas and Hawaii.
He moved back to Toronto in 1966 to form Hagood Hardy & The Montage which toured internationally for six years. It was around this time that he started music for film and television.
He wrote "The Homecoming" in 1972 for a Salada Tea commercial and once people began writing to the company to find out how they could get a copy of the instrumental piece Hardy finally released it. In 1975 it was released as a single and the song went Top-10 across Canada. Two Juno Awards followed for 'Composer Of The Year' and 'Instrumental Artist Of The Year'.
Hardy died after an 18 month struggle with stomach cancer in Hamilton on January 1, 1997 and is survived by 4 children...[net]
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