ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS - EVERY ONE OF US (MGM 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 1 bonus

Eric Burdon & the Animals were nearing the end of their string, at least in the lineup in which they'd come into the world in late 1966, when they recorded Every One of Us in May of 1968, just after the release of their second album, The Twain Shall Meet. The group had seen some success, especially in America, with the singles "When I Was Young," "San Franciscan Nights" and "Sky Pilot" over the previous 18 months, but had done considerably less well with their albums. Every One of Us lacked a hit single to help drive its sales, but it was still a good psychedelic blues album, filled with excellent musicianship by Burdon (lead vocals), Vic Briggs (guitar, bass), John Weider (guitar, celeste), Danny McCulloch (bass,12-string, vocals), and Barry Jenkins (drums, percussion), with new member Zoot Money (credited, for contractual reasons, as George Bruno) on keyboards and vocals. Opening with the surprisingly lyrical "White Houses" — a piece of piercing social commentary about America in early 1968 — the record slid past the brief bridge "Uppers and Downers" and into the extended, John Weider-authored psychedelic mood piece "Serenade to a Sweet Lady," highlighted by Briggs' superb lead acoustic guitar playing and Weider's subdued electric accompaniment. This is followed by the acoustic folk piece "The Immigrant Lad," a conceptual work that closes with a dialogue, set in a workingman's bar, in which two Cockney workers, voiced by John Weider and Terry McVay, talk about their world and their lives. "Year of the Guru" is another in a string of Jimi Hendrix-influenced pieces by this version of the Animals, showing the entire band at the peak of their musical prowess, and Burdon — taking on virtually the role of a modern rapper — generating some real power on some surprisingly cynical lyrics concerning the search for spiritual fulfillment and leaders. "St. James Infirmary" recalls "House of the Rising Sun," as both a song and an arrangement, and is worthwhile just for the experience of hearing this version of the group going full-tilt as a rock band. And then there is "New York 1963 — America 1968," an 18-minute conceptual track with a center spoken word section featuring not a group member, but a black engineer named Cliff, who recalls his experience as a fighter pilot during World War II, and tells of poverty then and now — although the opening section starts off well enough musically, amid Burdon's sung recollections of coming to America and his fixation on the blues and black music in general, and the closing repetition of the word "freedom" anticipates Richie Havens' famed piece (actually an extension of "Motherless Child") from Woodstock, the track is too long and unwieldy for any but the most fanatical listener to absorb as more than a curiosity of its time...
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EXCEPTION - THE EXCEPTIONAL EXCEPTION (PRESIDENT 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

This Birmingham band started in 1967 & they released a couple of commercial singles on "CBS" which are now of little interest before moving to "President" in 1968.....
Their later singles, "Dont Torture Your Mind", "Woman Of The Green Lantern" & a couple of more were in a different class to anything else they made before...Their 1969 album is also quite interesting...
They can also be heard on "The Best Of President, Vol 2". Dave Pegg was later with Ian Cambell Group & The Uglys & together with Eastwood and Hill was later in "Fairport Convention" & "Fotheringay".
Eastwood also had a solo 45, Blackbird Charlie/My Sun (President PT 209) in 1968...

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JOHN RENBOURN - FARO ANNIE (TRANSATLANTIC 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

John Renbourn (born 8 August 1944, Marylebone, London, England) is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career both before, during and after that band's existence (1967-1973).
While most commonly labelled a folk musician, Renbourn's musical tastes and interests take in early music, classical music, blues and world music. His most influential album, Sir John Alot (1968), featured his take on songs from the Medieval era.
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Renbourn released several albums on the Transatlantic label during the 1960s. Two of them, Sir John Alot and Lady And The Unicorn sum up Renbourn's playing style and material from this period. Sir John Alot has a mixture of jazz/blues/folk playing alongside a more classical/early music style. Lady And The Unicorn is heavily influenced by Renbourn's interest in early music.
At around this time, Renbourn also started playing with Jacqui McShee who sang traditional English folk songs. Together with Bert Jansch, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox, they went on to form Pentangle. The group became very successful, touring America in 1968, playing at Carnegie Hall and the Newport Folk Festival.
Renbourn went on to record more solo albums in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of the music is based on traditional material with a Celtic influence, interwoven with other styles. He also collaborated with American guitarist Stefan Grossman in the late 1970s, recording two albums with him, which at times recall his folk baroque days with Bert Jansch.
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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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MARK-ALMOND - RISING (COLUMBIA 1972) Jap mastering

Mark–Almond were an English band of the late 1960s and early 1970s, who worked in the territory between rock and jazz. In 1970 Jon Mark and Johnny Almond formed Mark-Almond (also occasionally referred to as The Mark-Almond Band). The melancholy tones of saxophonist Almond were an integral part of the group's sound, and Almond frequently played flute as well, including the bass flute. Characterized by a blend of blues and jazz riffs, latin beats, and a mellow rock aesthetic, and in contrast the heavier guitar-driven rock of his contemporaries, composer and band leader Mark worked at producing warm and melodic works.
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Mark-Almond's first two albums, Mark-Almond (1971) and Mark-Almond II (1972) were recorded for Bob Krasnow's Blue Thumb label, and were noted for their embossed envelope-style album covers. "One Way Sunday" was a hit for them in the United States and hit #1 in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. The group then recorded two albums for Columbia Records, Rising (1972) and the live album, Mark-Almond 73 (1973), by which time the group's members had grown to seven. In October 1972, Mark was involved in an accident in Hawaii and lost most of his left-hand ring finger. "What Am I Living For" from Mark-Almond 73 gained the group the most U.S. radio airplay they would get, but nevertheless they disbanded later that year.
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CARAVAN - IN THE LAND OF GREY & PINK (DERAM 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 5 bonus

In the Land of Grey and Pink is considered by many to be a pinnacle release from Caravan. The album contains an undeniable and decidedly European sense of humor and charm. In addition, this would mark the end of the band's premiere lineup. Co-founder David Sinclair would leave Caravan to form Matching Mole with Soft Machine drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt in August of 1971. As a group effort, In the Land of Grey and Pink displays all the ethereal brilliance Caravan created on their previous pair of 12" outings. Their blending of jazz and folk instrumentation and improvisational styles hints at Traffic and Family, as displayed on "Winter Wine," as well as the organ and sax driven instrumental introduction to "Nine Feet Underground." These contrast the decidedly aggressive sounds concurrent with albums from King Crimson or Soft Machine. In fact, beginning with the album's title, there seems to be pastoral qualities and motifs throughout. Another reason enthusiasts rank this album among their favorites is the group dynamic which has rarely sounded more singular or cohesive. David Sinclair's lyrics are of particular note, especially the middle-earth imagery used on "Winter Wine" or the enduring whimsy of "Golf Girl." The remastered version of this album includes previously unissued demos/alternate versions of both tracks under the titles: "It's Likely to Have a Name Next Week" and "Group Girl," respectively. The remastered disc also includes "I Don't Know Its Name (Alias the Word)" and "Aristocracy," two pieces that were completed, but shelved in deference to the time limitations imposed during the days of wine and vinyl. The latter composition would be reworked and released on Caravan's next album, Waterloo Lily...
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MICHAEL DEACON - RUNNIN' IN THE MEADOW (MUSTARDSEED 1975) Jap/Korean mastering cardboard sleeve + 4 bonus

"Folky singer-songwriter obscurity. You 'll hear a little light rock, a little blues, a little pop, and a little jazz. It is a "bread and butter" USA mix of some of the freshest songs weve heard in a long time, particularly "Yahoo!" - the title song from this signature album. It is truly a song that defies description. It moves, it lifts, it raises your spirit like no other popular song has ever done. There are 11 other offerings total, and better yet, each one of them has that unmistakable Michael Deacon touch that makes a song like "Yahoo!" so endearing; and the vocal quality, musical tightness, lyrical lilt - its there throughout this masterpiece. Enjoy this lovely album at face value. Then look just below the surface - you may be surprised at what you find." [net]
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GYPSY - GYPSY (UNITED ARTISTS 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 8 bonus

They were from Leicester, U.K. but the San Francisco sound of the late '60s is all over the group Gypsy. John Knapp (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Robin Pizer (guitar/vocals), Rod Read (guitar/vocals), David McCarthy (bass/vocals) and Moth Smith (drums) came together in 1968 and released a single on Fontana as Legacy before changing the group's name to Gypsy. Their self-titled debut was released by United Artists in 1971 and soon Rod Read left and was replaced by Ray Martinez. Little attention was paid to the band's 1972 sophomore album, Brenda & the Rattlesnake, and when the band handed in their third album in 1973, United Artists wasn't interested and it remained unreleased.
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Personnel:

John Knapp - vocals, guitar, keyboards
David McCarthy - bass, vocals
Robin Pizer - guitar, vocals
Rod Read - guitar, vocals
Moth Smith - drums
Ray Martinez - guitar, vocals

Albums:
Gypsy (UAS 29155) 1971
Brenda And The Rattlesnake (UAS 29420) 1972

45s:
What Makes A Man A Man/I Want To Be Beside You (UP 35202) 1971
Changes Coming/Don't Cry On Me (UP 35272) 1971
Brand New Car/You Know Better Than Me (UP 35462) 1972
Let's Roll/Without You (UP 35546) 1973

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JOHN ENTWISTLE - SMASH YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL (TRACK 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 9 bonus

Smash Your Head Against the Wall is the debut solo album by John Entwistle of The Who, released on Track Records. Its bizarre cover strangely resembles an Egyptian sarcophagus - but it is in fact Entwistle wearing a death mask while looking through the chest X-ray of a lung cancer patient, a parody of anti-smoking advertisements of the era.
The album itself offers a more downbeat and aggressive view of life than even the Who had to offer at their most pessimistic, as witnessed in the title track (aka "My Size"), and the closing track, "I Believe In Everything", which ends with a seemingly impromptu chorus of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", to end a sometimes uncompromising album on an unexpectedly happy note. The album also features a remake of Entwistle's Who classic "Heaven and Hell" with Who roadie Cyrano Langston providing some acid-drenched guitar. Who bandmate Pete Townshend once said about the album, "We learned more about John from him making an album than we did in all the years he'd ever played bass with us", a reference to both his quiet demeanor and his then-mostly unknown capabilities as a songwriter.
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As many longtime fans of the Who know, the band was truly a vehicle for the songwriting of guitarist Pete Townshend. Despite the strength of the band as a 'unit' and the importance of each of the original member's personalities and quirkiness added to the mix, it was Townshend who wrote the majority of the quartet's songs since the very beginning. With Townshend knee-deep in his 'rock opera' phase (TOMMY, the aborted LIFEHOUSE, and QUADROPHENIA), there was little room for the songwriting talents of the other members.
As history has thus far indicated, bassist John Entwistle was the only other member with even average songwriting skills. With an armful of tunes piling up on the backburner, he assembled his first true solo album in 1971, SMASH YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL. It's a dark feast of gallows imagery and grim rockers. Featured is the perrenial "Heaven and Hell" (a track the Who had been performing in concert for some time), as well as a cover of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl," and the album opener "My Size."
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TEN YEARS AFTER - STONEDHENGE (DERAM 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 4 bonus

Ten Years After is a British blues-rock quartet consisting of Alvin Lee (born December 19, 1944), guitar and vocals; Chick Churchill (born January 2, 1949), keyboards; Leo Lyons (born November 30, 1944) bass; and Ric Lee (born October 20, 1945), drums. The group was formed in 1967 and signed to Decca in England. Their first album was not a success, but their second, the live Undead (1968) containing "I'm Going Home," a six-minute blues workout by the fleet-fingered Alvin, hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Stonedhenge (1969) hit the U.K. Top Ten in early 1969. Ten Years After's U.S. breakthrough came as a result of their appearance at Woodstock, at which they played a nine-minute version of "I'm Going Home." Their next album, Ssssh, reached the U.S. Top 20, and Cricklewood Green, containing the hit single "Love Like a Man," reached number four. Watt completed the group's Decca contract, after which they signed with Columbia and moved in a more mainstream pop direction, typified by the gold-selling 1971 album A Space in Time and its Top 40 single "I'd Love to Change the World." Subsequent efforts in that direction were less successful, however, and Ten Years After split up after the release of Positive Vibrations in 1974. They reunited in 1988 for concerts in Europe and recorded their first new album in 15 years, About Time, in 1989 before disbanding once again. In 2001, Ric Lee was preparing the back catalog for rerelease when he discoverd the Live at the Fillmore East 1970 tapes. He approached Alvin about getting back together to promote the lost album, but Alvin Lee declined. The rest of the band was up for it, though, and together with guitarist Joe Gooch, Ten Years After started touring again. In addition to touring the world, this new incarnation recorded their first new material in about a decade and a half and released Now in 2004 and added the live double CD set Roadworks in 2005. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
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SANDSTONE - CAN YOU MEND A SILVER THREAD? (EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA 1971) Jap/Korean mastering cardboard sleeve + 2 bonus

Little-known private folk psych trip that's head and shoulders above almost every other US folk psych record. It's hard to believe it's not from the UK, as it's instrumentation and compositional style remind you of Mellow Candle, Pentangle, Midwinter, etc. Recorded in 1971 at a local studio that must have been quite high end, because the production quality is astounding. Lyrically poetic, haunting primarily female vocals, and with entirely original compositions, this is every inch a mindblowing US private press and creates a dreamy, wistful mood typical of the style. From the cover to the instrumentation to the deeply strange and lovely lyrics, this may be my all-time fave US folk psych private. Maybe the truest US folk psych you've yet found. -Limited Edition -Paper Sleeve -2008 Original re-master(24-bit) -Photo and liner notes -2 bonus tracks -First on CD.
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THE GEORGE-EDWARDS GROUP - 38 : 38 (DETROIT/MICHIGAN 1977) Jap/Korean mastering cardboard sleeve + 4 bonus

Originally recorded between 1977 and 1978 this private press LP by Raymond M. George and Edward S. Balian (hence the George-Edwards Group moniker) is renowned as an uber-rare example of homemade Midwestern psychedelia. Having pressed up 100 copies as a promotional exercise the duo found themselves giving up, with no labels or publishers willing to get in on the act. All these decades later and collectors are exchanging copies for $400 a time. This is bizarre and labyrinthine tome, taking in highlights such as the proggy synth-rock experiment 'Planets And Stars', ambient piano and chime piece 'Easternia' and 'Wintertime', an acoustic number that weighs in with esoteric Moog and Arp contributions. Far more ambitious and dynamic than most long-lost private press, 38:38 is a compelling excavation.
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'38:38' by The George-Edwards Group's is one of the rarest private press albums of all time. '38:38' departs from the norm of the genre: instead of a low-fi demo quality outing elevated mainly by dealer hype, this album is a haunting piece of music that offers an unusually highbrow take on the archetypal Midwestern rock 'n' roll existentialism usually addressed with a solid beat and sneering vocal. Crafting their sound out of the many influences of the day, Edward Balian and Ray George created pop music with acoustic guitars and harmonies, heavily reverberant piano riffs, cold sheets of synthesizer, bells and chimes. - First-time ever on CD format - Paper sleeve/Gatefold - 24-bit re-mastering(2009) + 4 bonus tracks - Limited edition.
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DE MASKERS - SENSATIONS IN SOUND (ARTONE 1966) Vinyl Rip

Profile: Dutch beat group, established 1965 in Amsterdam. Members included: Hans de Hont, Alewijn Dekker, Jaap de Groot, Ador Otting and Jan de Hont.
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I could not find more infos about this group but one thing I can say for sure! They are far better from other groups of the era even better than some big British or US ones!
The thing that really impressed me is their sound which is not exactly "classic beat" of the era but also has some psych elements & it's also haunting in parts!!!!
My vinyl copy is not exactly "brand new"...but it's difficult or impossible to locate a better copy.
It seems no one knows the existence of this LP & in their short bio only a 1972 greatest hits compilation is mentioned which has nothing to do with their sound here & also some early 45s.
If someone knows something more about them it would be nice to leave a line here.
A mega rarity...don't miss it!
I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do...
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TAKESHI TERAUCHI & THE BLUE JEANS - MANATSU NO UMI WO BUTTOBASE!! (KING 1972) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve

First with his band The Bunnys and later with The Blue Jeans, guitarist Takeshi Terry Terauchi covered many popular genres, from garage, fratrock and surf guitar instrumentals, through sentimental ballads, via his own inimitable take on the popular classics. Born in January 1939, in the small town of Tsuchiura, in the rural prefecture of Ibaraki, north of Tokyo, Terauchi started his career in the 1950s, playing rhythm guitar in the Country & Western group Jimmy Tokita & The Mountain Playboys, but swapped to the hip new eleki style in 1962, with the formation of The Bluejeans. With Terauchi now playing a Ventures-style Mosrite guitar, the band's 1964 LP KOREZO SURFING (This Is Surfing) was a huge hit, enabling Terauchi and his wild whammy-bar stylings to support both The Ventures and The Astronauts on their Japanese tours. However, the coming of The British Invasion saw Teraucki jump ship to the vocal sounds, and he formed The Bunnys in early 1966. His self-referential songs included the December single Terry's Theme and the LP LET?S GO TERRY, which featured wild performances including their legendary mind death riffothon Test Driver. Then came Terauchi's commercial masterstroke, an eleki version of traditional Japanese songs for the LP SEICHO TERA UCHI BUSHI, which included the hit single Kanjincho/Genroku Hanami Odiri". Sales came in from people young and old alike, and over 100, 000 copies sold made the LP the all-time best-selling Group Sounds album...[net] Here

TAKESHI TERAUCHI & THE BUNNYS - LET'S GO TERRY! (KING 1966) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 3 bonus

Terauchi Takeshi was one of Japan's premier guitarists, first making waves with his surfband the Bluejeans, before updating his sound to a more Ventures-like psychedelic go-go sound under as the Bunnys.
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Takeshi "Terry"Terauchi started out as a sideman in Jimmy Tokita & the Mountain Playboys, a Country & Western band. In 1962, he formed his first Eleki band (it means instrumental band with electiric guitar), the Bluejeans, (Their June 1964 album, "Korezo Surfing" ["This is Surfing"], was Japan's first surf music album.)
They became the most famous surf instrumental band in Japan. They opened for the Ventures and Astronauts. Terauchi's style is very Ventures-influenced, but much faster and more frantic, with a heavy picking style and liberal use of his Mosrite's whammy bar.
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In '66 Terauchi quite the band and formed a new vocal and instrumental group, the Bunnys. In Dec. '66 they released their first single "Terry's Theme", an instrumental number which was played as the opening number in the gig with a simple riff, the flip side was the legendary garage instrumental "Test Driver" (appeared on Monster A Go Go). At the same time they released "Let's Go Terry" .On this album we can listen instrumental songs with his frantic wildest guitar and wild vocal songs.
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