UNUSUAL WE - UNUSUAL WE (PULSAR 1969) Korean mastering cardboard sleeve

Nothing unusual about these guys, because the record's a great batch of Sunshine Pop vocal work -- very much in the best spirit of bigger work from the late 60s! The album's the only one we've ever seen from the group, but it's a real gem through and through -- a great batch of tracks that blends male and female voices together with a wonderfully swirling sort of sound -- supported by arrangements that are full, but never too lush to smother the vocals -- and served up with a nicely groovy sense of rhythm at the bottom! A few tracks have a nice undercurrent of subtle funk -- thanks, no doubt, to production from Harold Battiste -- and titles include "Close Your Eyes", "Topanga Canyon", "My Bag", "All Day Long", "Bright Spectrum Of Colors", "Feeling Kinda Sunday", "Little Sister", and "It's Good To Be Happy"...[net]
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Raved about by collectors of 60s sunshine pop, the Unusual We's first and only record is quite shitty. A weak mix of Free Design and Up With People, this Harold Battiste production would be disposable if not for the funky and stylistically jarring song, "My Bag." The flute/drum intro reminds me of Manfred Mann Chapter III or Stark Reality, and I would be surprised if someone somewhere hasn't sampled it. The groove established and Free Design style group vocals come in. It is an odd mix of sounds - stoned, slinky funk and straight, uptight vox - but it works. The second song I'm laying on you - "Little Sister" - makes the cut only because "My Bag" is so good and I don't want to leave you with just one song. The band? I have no idea. The sleeve notes suggest that it is made up of four couples - loving couples and, if the front cover is photo is any hint, swingers. Chances are that the couple are props or at least not couples but session players, as usual with these kind of sounds...(crudcrud blog review)
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well..I must say I totally agree with the second reviewer & the only reason for this post is that many people out there asked me for it...so here it is..get it!
24bit digitally Remastered from the original mastertapes. Limited 500 copies only worldwide.
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OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS - THE CAR OVER THE LAKE ALBUM & MEN FROM EARTH (A&M 1975-76)

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils were among the more popular of mid-'70s country-rock outfits, slotting in chronologically and stylistically between the Eagles and Firefall. As exponents of '70s country-rock, the group rode a wave of success for five years on A&M Records and survived in some form into the 1990s, with a following just large enough to justify occasional record releases in their later years. The sextet was formed in Missouri during the early '70s, consisting of guitarists John Dillon and Steve Cash, blues harpist/singer/guitarist Randle Chowning, drummer/guitarist/singer Larry Lee, keyboard player Buddy Brayfield, and bassist-vocalist Michael Granda, and was signed to A&M Records in 1973. Their first album, recorded under the supervision of producer Glyn Johns (who had also worked with the Eagles), was a critical success and yielded a Top 30 hit in "If You Want to Get to Heaven." A year later, they had the biggest hit in their history, "Jackie Blue," a mellow piece of country-rock that got to number three on the charts and still gets played occasionally as a '70s oldie. They had an ethereal edge to their sound and songs that made them especially appealing to college-age listeners during the middle of the decade. Their self-titled debut album set the tone for the group's next four releases, although by 1978's Don't Look Down, the sound was somewhat closer to country-pop than country-rock. Collegiate girls and their boyfriends could relate to them, and a sense of humor didn't hurt (their third LP, The Car Over the Lake Album had cover art featuring -- you guessed it -- a car over a lake). Lee, Dillon (who later played with fellow Daredevil Steve Cash on the Waylon Jennings/Jessi Colter White Mansions concept album), and Chowning authored most of the songs that anyone knows ("Jackie Blue," "Following the Way I Feel," "Fly Away Home"). The group enjoyed success primarily on FM radio from 1973 until 1978, and were popular enough to justify the recording and release of a double-LP concert album...[net]
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STRING DRIVEN THING - S/T (CONCORD 1968) [Released 1970] jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 14 bonus

Scotland's String Driven Thing composed of Chris Adams and his wife and guitarist John Mannion. While they stayed rather unsuccessful for a long while, with their debut album completely unnoticed on a independent label. By 71, the group had seen Mannion leaving, but he was replaced with violinist Grahame Smith and bassist Colin Wilson. Soon they got signed to the Charisma label and with Shel Talmy producing two excellent albums, encountering a certain kind of success in Continental Europe, but staying close to unknown in the Isles. After health-related problems in a tour founder Chris Adams quit with his wife leaving Grahame Smith reforming the group from scratch for two further albums. Neither of these albums will have the charm or adventure of the two earlier albums, developing a more AOR rock that had no real distinction except for a violin sound and the group folded in the mis-70’s.
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An archetypal progressive rock outfit, formed in mid-1968 by husband and wife Chris and Pauline Adams. Although their debut album bears little resemblance to their subsequent work, being full of US West Coast-influenced breezy harmony-pop, only 100 copies were pressed and it's now inevitably rare and sought-after.
In 1972 they expanded the line-up, with Graeme Smith a classically trained violinist from the Scottish National Orchestra, Bill Hatje and Colin Wilson. The same year they signed to Charisma and released an eponymous album which enjoyed considerable critical acclaim. Characterised by Chris Adams' hard bitten lyrics and doomy vocals and Graham Smith's wailing violin playing, their 'sound' had built up a strong following on the club/college circuit. 1972 also saw them on tour in the U.S. with Genesis...[net]
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TUDOR LODGE - TUDOR LODGE (VERTIGO 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

Tudor Lodge was originally formed in 1968, featuring John Stannard and Roger Strevens. The group started playing at the White Horse in Reading, England and later made appearances at other clubs on the folk circuit. In 1969 Lyndon Green replaced Roger. Lyndon had just returned to England after treading the hippy trail to Turkey and within a year they were joined by American singer and flautist, Ann Steuart. Tudor Lodge then toured the English folk circuit for over two years, teaming up with manager Karl Blore towards the end of 1970, and releasing their first album in 1971: “Tudor Lodge” (Vertigo 6360043).
Later that year, the group appeared at the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival.

Annie left the group in 1972 and was briefly replaced by Linda Peters, who became better known through her work with husband Richard Thompson. That year saw Tudor Lodge touring Holland where they featured on Dutch Radio after which the group disbanded with their various careers diverging.
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One of the most venerated progressive 'freak folk' albums of all time, released in 1970 on Vertigo. Its striking artwork has made it much sought after by collectors but the music is the main attraction -- delicate and rather extravagant, and very original for the time period, characterized by complex arrangements featuring acoustic instruments with an excellent use of flute, acoustic guitars and impeccable vocals. In fact, it's something of a shame that this record is primarily known in small circles of obscure folk-lovers interested in spending the extra time and money to seek out special albums like this one...
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UNIQUES - HAPPENING NOW! (PAULA 1967) Vinyl Rip (from me)

In comparison to their 1966 debut LP Uniquely Yours, The Uniques' second album, Happening Now, was a little bit of a disappointment, though not without its assets. The main flaw is that, in common with numerous albums issued by good but not great bands in the mid-'60s, there are too many covers of familiar hit songs. In this disc's case, those include "96 Tears," "Oh Pretty Woman," The Animals' "Don't Bring Me Down" (which does have a remarkably accurate Eric Burdon-like vocal), The Outsiders' "Time Won't Let Me," the Swinging Medallions' "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)," and even Gerry & The Pacemakers' "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying," which wasn't standard garage/frat band fare. This isn't as dull as it seems; The Uniques were a good group with a very fine singer/organist, Joe Stampley, and certainly sound like they would have been a hell of a band to have at your party or club if you couldn't afford bigger names. It's not all that original, however, even if it's a pretty good snapshot of mid-'60s Southern rock that adeptly blended more standard garage rock with soul and swamp pop. It does have a surprisingly nice cover of "And I Love Her" (even if it seems to be faded out prematurely), and a couple decent tracks outside of the hit cover category in the tough single "Run and Hide" and the more melodic "Look to Me," which has a really peculiar clavioline-like keyboard solo. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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UNIQUES - UNIQUELY YOURS (PAULA 1966) Vinyl Rip (from me)

Like many LPs of its time, the Uniques' debut album had a bunch of songs taken from previously released singles, with several of these dozen tracks showing up on 1965-1966 45s. But even if it was pasted together to some degree, it's a surprisingly strong (given the patchy standards of the era) set of mid-'60s Southern rock, mixing garage rock, blue-eyed soul, and swamp pop. "You Ain't Tuff," the somewhat "Gloria"-derived nasty garage stomper, is certainly the most famous of these cuts, and deservedly so. But there are also some pretty good originals, usually written by lead singer Joe Stampley. Stampley proves himself an unusually versatile rock vocalist, capable of fairly nasty R&B-pop on "You Ain't Tuff" and "Strange," but also more subtle and smoother soul-pop on "Not Too Long Ago" (which is slightly reminiscent of B.J. Thomas' early material), "Never Been in Love Before," and "Don't Be a Fool." And while this LP (again like many of its time) is padded out with covers, Stampley and the band do well on these too, especially on Aaron Neville's "All These Things" and (more surprisingly, considering how familiar the song is) "The House of the Rising Sun," where his odd ghostly organ is also a highlight. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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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.
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McCULLY WORKSHOP INC. - S/T (TRUTONE 1970) Korean mastering cardboard sleeve

The Psychedelic-Music.com Website describes McCully Workshop's first album like this: "Of all the albums we've heard from South Africa this one is topscore. What a beautiful masterpiece. Pepper-influenced Underground music with great songs, lovely vocals, strong harmonies, great distorted guitarwork."
Since 1965, the McCullagh brothers, Tully (born Terence on 31st May 1953) and Mike (born Michael on 7th April 1947), have become an integral part of the South African pop and rock scene.
In 1965 they started as a folk-rock trio with Richard Hyam and called themselves the Blue Three. Richard had been in a folk duo, Tiny Folk, with his sister Melanie.
After a few personnel- and name-changes, like The Blue Beats and Larfing Stocke, the line-up settled down (for a while) in 1969 and they called themselves the McCully Workshop because they used to rehearse in Mrs McCullagh's garage.
Glenda Wassman later married Richard, and they formed the pop band Pendulum and had a big hit with 'Take My Heart' in 1976. Glenda then went on to major success with the all-girl group, Clout, who had a huge hit with 'Substitute' which went to #2 in the UK in 1978.
'McCully Workshop Inc' was produced by the great South African singer and producer Billy Forrest. The cover photo was taken by Sigurd Olivier and the cat's name was Sirikit.
'McCully Workshop Inc' was released in June 1970 and included the epic and powerful 'Why Can't It Rain' which went to #12 on the Springbok Radio charts in July 1970.
The album shows a variety of styles and influences including The Beatles, Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd...[net]
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NOTE:
"Due to missing of the original master tapes, Mr. Mike McCullagh, one of the original members of the band worked on transferring the sound sources from the original vinyl. However, despite the effort to locate the clean vinyl for transferring, this vinyl copy is the only one we could find. Therefore, there are some audible surface noise on this cd. We hope this won't stop you from listening enjoyment."
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KICKSTANDS - BLACK BOOTS AND BIKES (CAPITOL 1964)

The Kickstands were one of writer and producer Gary Usher's studio amalgams that made use of veteran L.A. session players in the early to mid-'60s to produce album after album of hot rod and surf tunes. With players from the so-called Wrecking Crew, including Jerry Cole, Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, and with Chuck Girard handling most of the vocals, the Kickstands officially released one album, Black Boots & Bikes, on Capitol Records. The album had a somewhat darker hue than most of Usher's sunshine and surf productions, and tracks like "Death Valley Run" and "Slow Ride South" are definitely worth seeking out for fans of Usher and the hot rod/surf genre...[net]
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There was some formidable talent involved in the sole LP by the studio-only hot rod band the Kickstands, which mixed instrumentals and vocals. Gary Usher and Roger Christian, who wrote material for the Beach Boys and other notable early-'60s Southern Californian surf and hot rod acts, penned a few of the tracks. Guitarist Jerry Cole, drummer Earl Palmer, and saxophonist Steve Douglas, all top Hollywood sessionmen, played on the record. The fact is, however, that this was a hot rod exploitation album, hurriedly recorded while the fad was still on track. As Usher himself remembering: "You have to understand, these albums meant a steady income for the troops. I was trying to funnel as much money into these guys as I could -- the demand was not going to last forever." Accordingly, it's not top-notch hot rod music; it's rather formulaic, though the lyrics (and song titles, in the case of the instrumentals) have a somewhat more rebellious, more ominous streak than most of the tunes in what was usually a fun-loving genre. There's some good growling guitar playing, particularly on the closing instrumental "Scrambler."..[net]
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HOLLIES - FOR CERTAIN BECAUSE...(PARLOPHONE 1966) Jap Mastering Cardboard sleeve Mono & Stereo + 3 bonus

"For Certain Because" marked the beginning of probably the most creative period in the career of the Hollies. It was also the album that introduced Tonys Hicks' banjo which is very prominent on the big single hit "Stop Stop Stop".
Their songwriting had been steadily growing since their ealiest effort usually credited as Ransford songs. Outstanding originals written by Clarke/Hicks/Nash dominate the album, which for the first time consists of sheer original material.
The opening track "What's Wrong With the Way I Live" is just great. Different from earlier songs and also featuring the banjo. The song was a minor hit in some European countries.
"Clown" is a melodic circus ballad in the same vein as the earlier "Fifi the Flea", sung ( and probably written ) by Graham Nash.
"Pay You Back With Interest" which besides being a great song with the typical Hollies vocal harmonies also features the piano played by bass-player Clavert.
Other favourites are "It's You", "Peculiar Situation", "Tell Me to My Face" and "Suspicious Look in Your Eyes"...[net]
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For Certain Because is the fifth UK album by The Hollies. This was also the first Hollies album in which all the songs were written by members Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Tony Hicks.
Retitled Stop! Stop! Stop! for the US and Canadian markets, this was the first Hollies album in which the track listing on both US and UK versions remained the same. In addition, other markets used the title Stop! Stop! Stop! when reissuing this album. In 1983, Liberty Records reissued this album as Pay You Back With Interest without the tracks "Stop! Stop! Stop!" and "High Classed".
Stop! Stop! Stop! was also the Hollies' last new album for Imperial Records in the US and Capitol Records in Canada. Their next album, Evolution, would be released in the US and Canada on Epic Records while remaining on Parlophone/EMI in the UK...
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THE FORT MUDGE MEMORIAL DUMP (MERCURY 1969)

Fort Mudge Memorial Dump was a band from Walpole, Massachusetts, that started playing by 1969, gathering a good number of fans. They got filed into the “Boston Sound”, among the Ultimate Spinach, the Beacon Street Union, Orpheus, Tangerine Zoo, ecc.
With good technique and better ideas, they recorded a very sought-after LP for Mercury in which the voice of Caroline Stratton stands out to some Jefferson Airplane affinity.
Guitarist Dean Keady, with his jazzy effects, leads the band.
Despite its east coast origins, the band is firmly rooted in San Francisco acid-soaked psychedelia. The revelation here is Stratton, whose powerhouse vocals are reminiscent of the Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick.
All the material was written by the band. Mr. Man and Crystal Forms both portray Stratton's vocals favourably and include some good guitar work. Others, such as Actions Of A Man and What Good Is Spring? find Caroline and the band in a mellower mood...[net]
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PEANUT BUTTER CONSPIRACY - FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES (CHALLENGE 1969)

PBC formed in Los Angeles in 1966 out of a folk-rock group, The Ashes, who included John Merrill (guitar/ vocals), Alan Brackett (bass/ vocals), Barbara "Sandi" Robison (vocals), Spencer Dryden (drums) and Jim Cherniss (guitar/ vocals). The group had earlier been known as The Young Swingers, who released two obscure singles. The Ashes released one single in 1966 on the Vault label, "Is There Anything I Can Do?" written by Jackie DeShannon. Dryden then left The Ashes to replace Skip Spence in Jefferson Airplane, Robison left to give birth, and the group temporarily disbanded.
Alan Brackett hooked up with a new guitarist, Lance Fent, and a new drummer, Jim Voigt, naming the new trio The Crossing Guards. Merrill and Robison rejoined, and the five-piece band became The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.
The group signed with Columbia Records in late 1966, releasing a single "It's A Happening Thing", produced by Gary Usher, which reached #93 on the national pop chart. The band's first album, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading, followed, also produced by Usher who brought in studio musicians including Glen Campbell and James Burton to bolster the group's sound. Their late 1967 single "Turn On a Friend (to the Good Life)" failed to chart. However, they toured nationally, added a new guitarist, Bill Wolff, and recorded a second album for Columbia, The Great Conspiracy, generally regarded as their best.
In 1968 they moved to the Warner Bros. Records subsidiary label Challenge, with a revamped line-up featuring ex-Clear Light organist Ralph Schuckett and drummer Michael Ney (Stevens), recording their final album For Children of All Ages. The record was written and conceived by Brackett. Meanwhile, Merrill had reformed a version of Ashes, whose only LP was eventually released in 1970 on the Vault label.
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This edition of PBC's last album, is a completely new album!
Reissue team:"We've uncovered no less than six previously unreleased tracks which we think are so good we've decided to reconfigure the album in their honour...
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BUCKINGHAMS - TIME & CHARGES (COLUMBIA 1967) Japan DSD mastering cardboard sleeve + 4 bonus

The Buckinghams started life in Chicago, Illinois in 1965. They were known as The Pulsations. After winning an audition for television station WGN, the station wanted them to have a more "British" sounding name because of the popularity of the British Invasion. A security guard at the station gave them a few suggestions, one of which was The Buckinghams, which all involved liked.
Soon after a local record label, USA, signed them to record 12 songs which they released as Kind of a Drag. One of the songs was "Kind Of A Drag". The label didn't think much of it, but radio station WLS in Chicago started playing it. It became a big hit in the midwest and soon after was a #1 hit across the U.S. The brass they used on some of the songs became known as "The Chicago Sound." But the label had already dropped them, they had no manager, and Dennis Miccoli had already quit the band. A friend of theirs was a cousin of James William Guercio. Guercio told Columbia Records he would get The Buckinghams to sign with them if he was the producer. Both the group and Columbia agreed and Guercio also became their manager.
Their first album for Columbia was Time & Charges. Much of it had the signature Buckingham sound but a couple of numbers, "And Our Love" and "Foreign Policy", were taken over and heavily orchestrated by Guercio. The group didn't really care too much for them but with the songs "Don't You Care" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" becoming Top Ten hits, they weren't going to argue with success.
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...After Al Kooper left Blood, Sweat & Tears, Bobby Colomby and Steve Katz said they were heavily influenced by The Buckinghams, who they admired for their mix of soul and their use of horns. With that vision in mind, they hired Guercio who became the manager/producer for Blood, Sweat & Tears. He finalized the original vision he had for The Buckinghams by becoming the producer/manager for Chicago...
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STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK - WAKE UP...... IT'S TOMORROW (UNI 1968) Japan mastering + 2 bonus

For their second album, Wake Up...It's Tomorrow, Strawberry Alarm Clock built upon the solid writing and musicianship that inevitably carried over from the Incense and Peppermints project. In retrospect, it is baffling as to why they were relegated to the "one-hit wonders" file, as their most social and musically relevant statements had yet to be made. Stylistically, the material on this album vacillates between the lighter and pop-oriented sides such as "Tomorrow" and the stunningly agile vocal arrangements on "Pretty Song from Psych-Out" to the exceedingly ominous "Curse of the Witches" and "Nightmare of Percussion." Howard Davis -- whose spoken word narration can be heard during the latter track -- arranged some stunning vocal charts for "Soft Skies, No Lies," "Go Back, You're Going the Wrong Way," and the "future" section of the "Black Butter" trilogy. They are reminiscent of the tight harmonies incorporated by Harpers Bizarre or the retro New Vaudeville Band. Conversely, "Sitting on a Star," "They Saw the Fat One Coming", and the first two movements in the "Black Butter" trilogy reflect the group's mod garage rock roots.[net]
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Japanese reissue of their second album (1968) with two bonus tracks, 'Tomorrow'(45 single) and 'Sit With The Guru' (45 single).14 tracks total...
The original source (covers,rip,e.t.c.) for this post was kindly offered by a dedicated follower & friend out there...thanks a lot!
Rapid Link
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DICK DALE & HIS DEL-TONES - GREATEST HITS 1961-1976 (GNP-CRESCENDO)

Dick Dale wasn't nicknamed "King of the Surf Guitar" for nothing: he pretty much invented the style single-handedly, and no matter who copied or expanded upon his blueprint, he remained the fieriest, most technically gifted musician the genre ever produced. Dale's pioneering use of Middle Eastern and Eastern European melodies (learned organically through his familial heritage) was among the first in any genre of American popular music, and predated the teaching of such "exotic" scales in guitar-shredder academies by two decades. The breakneck speed of his single-note staccato picking technique was unrivalled until it entered the repertoires of metal virtuosos like Eddie Van Halen, and his wild showmanship made an enormous impression on the young Jimi Hendrix. But those aren't the only reasons Dale was once called the father of heavy metal. Working closely with the Fender company, Dale continually pushed the limits of electric amplification technology, helping to develop new equipment that was capable of producing the thick, clearly defined tones he heard in his head, at the previously undreamed-of volumes he demanded. He also pioneered the use of portable reverb effects, creating a signature sonic texture for surf instrumentals. And, if all that weren't enough, Dale managed to redefine his instrument while essentially playing it upside-down and backwards -- he switched sides in order to play left-handed, but without re-stringing it (as Hendrix later did)...[net]
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There are a lot of great tunes here, but some of the songs on this compilation are not the originals (Misirlou, The Victor, Surf Beat, Mr. Peppermint Man, The Wedge, Let's Go Trippin', King Of The Surf Guitar), but are re-recordings from the GNP Crescendo sessions produced by Jim Pewter in 1975. These re-recordings are OK, but certainly they are not like the originals.
But there are several of Dick's "Checkered flag" 1964 Capitol album cuts, also some Del-Tone 1962 album cuts and rare 45's...
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