Sunshine/Pychedelic Pop: Eternity's Children - Eternity's Children mono+stereo 1968 & Timeless 1968 (both 2005 Rev-Ola)

Sunshine pop cult favorites Eternity's Children were formed in Cleveland, MS, in 1965 by singer/keyboardist Bruce Blackman and drummer Roy Whittaker, fellow students at Delta College. With the addition of lead guitarist Johnny Walker, rhythm guitarist Jerry Bounds, and bassist Charlie Ross, the group (originally dubbed the Phantoms) began developing the complex, overlapping vocal harmonies that remained the hallmark of their sound throughout their career. According to Dawn Eden's comprehensive liner notes in the 2002 Rev-Ola reissue Eternity's Children, in 1966 the Phantoms relocated to Biloxi, becoming the house band in the basement nightclub of the Biloxi Hotel and backing visiting performers including Charlie Rich and B.J. Thomas. With the addition of local folksinger Linda Lawley, the fledgling band adopted the more contemporary moniker Eternity's Children, and after Baton Rouge health club magnate Ray Roy caught one of their live appearances, he convinced business partner Guy Belello to form a management company (Crocked Foxx Productions and Music), which soon signed the group to a contract.

Eternity's Children quickly recorded a demo that made its way to A&M producer Allen Stanton, and in the spring of 1967 recorded their lone effort for the label, the David Gates-penned single "Wait and See." (It was produced by Keith Olsen, the former Music Machine bassist best known as the production partner of studio wizard Curt Boettcher.) The record went nowhere, and despite touring as part of a package headlined by the Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Seeds, and the Blues Magoos, Eternity's Children were quickly dropped by A&M. Crocked Foxx soon landed their charges a deal with Capitol's tax-shelter subsidiary, Tower; Olsen again manned the boards, this time bringing Boettcher, who'd previously enjoyed massive success with vocal groups like the Association as well as his own Sagittarius and the Millennium. Despite some flashes of brilliance, Eternity's Children's self-titled debut does not rank among the Boettcher/Olsen duo's crowning achievements -- both producers were distracted by other concurrent projects, and for every potential smash like the lilting first single "Mrs. Bluebird" or the beautiful "Again Again," there

 was a "Rupert White" (which simply added a new vocal to a backing track issued the year earlier as the Chocolate Tunnel's "The Highly Successful Rupert White") or "You Know I've Found a Way" (which doesn't even feature the group at all -- a Boettcher production demo, it later resurfaced in much more complete form on Sagittarius' Present Tense).

Timeless
During production of the album, relations between the members of Eternity's Children and their management became increasingly strained, and prior to the LP's mid-1968 release, Blackman, Walker, and Bounds all exited. Only Blackman was replaced, by classically trained keyboardist Mike "Kid" McClain, previously of the Houston group the Neurotic Sheep. An appearance on American Bandstand spurred "Mrs. Bluebird" up the pop charts, but Tower did little to promote the single or the band, and after three weeks at number 69 on Billboard, both quickly plummeted out of the Hot 100.

 Eternity's Children nevertheless reconvened to begin work on their second album, Timeless, this time recruiting Boettcher's longtime engineer, Gary Paxton, to helm the sessions. With primary songwriter Blackman now out of the mix, Ross, Lawley, and McClain all contributed original material, and Paxton also wrangled songs from future Byrds Clarence White and Gene Parsons. After Whittaker left the group sometime during the sessions, drummer Bo Wagner was brought into the studio to complete the tracks -- coincidentally, Wagner would later join Blackman and Walker in their post-Eternity's Children project, dubbed simply the Children. (Blackman and Walker finally achieved massive chart success in the mid-'70s as members of Starbuck, which scored the Top Five smash "Moonlight Feels Right.") The album, titled Timeless, wrapped in late 1968, and promo copies of the first single, "Till I Hear It from You," were soon dispatched to radio.

But when "Till I Hear It from You" caused little excitement among radio programmers, Tower abruptly scuttled Timeless' U.S. release; the album did appear on Capitol's Canadian branch ("Mrs. Bluebird" was a sizable hit north of the border). Desperate for a change in geography and approach, Eternity's Children decamped to Memphis, home of Chips Moman's legendary American Studios. Abandoning the lush, pristine production of their previous efforts for a more earthy, blue-eyed soul sound, the group teamed with Moman and ace session bassist Tommy Cogbill to record the single "The Sidewalks of the Ghetto." It went nowhere -- by now, Capitol was shuttering the entire Tower imprint, although one last Eternity's Children single, the Spooner Oldham-penned "Blue Horizon," slipped through the cracks, as did solo singles from Lawley ("When the World Turns") and Ross ("A Railroad Trestle in California").

Remarkably, there was one last gasp -- Liberty Records, reeling from the loss of the 5th Dimension to rival Bell, seized upon Eternity's Children as a replacement. They signed to record a single, "Alone Again," but when Liberty was folded into parent company United Artists, the band was dropped. No subsequent recordings ever saw official release, but various Eternity's Children lineups continued performing during the 1970s.

Two classic Sunshine Pop albums from a first class band. Highly recommended. Enjoy.(Frank)

Eternity's Children - Eternity's Children mono/stereo: FLAC
Eternity's Children - Timeless: FLAC
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Eternity's Children - Timeless: mp3@320
 

Marvelous British Neo Psychedelia: Beaulieu Porch - Sarum Sounds (2016 Tillmanns Records)

The new full length ‘Sarum Sounds’ employs a more edgy and fractured tone and finds them in a somewhat schizoid melodic frame of mind as they tunnel their way deep into the fragmenting firmament of the psychedelic eye, the pastoral posies of the past replaced by a scuzzing kaleiodoscopia which admittedly still bears the trademark Ooberman styled lilts yet now revolves and orbits a twin mooned mosaic whose influence freewheels between the luck of eden hall (none more so than on the sci fi psyche out grooves of opener ‘giant supermen’) and the doleful lions.

 That said plenty of Std Barrett and Keith West motifs daub and colour this wildly wonderful psychedelic mirage the latter most notably on the breathlessly aching and cosmically cooled ‘goodbye sarum’ while the day-glo’d new wave freak out ‘Thursday sound revival’ hints of an untamed crooked crafting that wouldn’t look far out of place on ‘SF Sorrow’.

 All said on this brief first hearing our favourite moment by far ‘june’ is sumptuously trimmed in baroque corteges sighed in ghost like ethereal weaves of lulling chime motifs and genuflecting string arrangements (see Ooberman) which by the close fracture and frazzle into a searing haze of rabbit hole falling psychosis. (review excerpt by Mark Barton, marklosingtoday.wordpress.com)

quote by Simon Berry: ''...writer Mark Barton pens deeply poetic and picturesque words...''

With 'Sarum Sounds' Simon Berry aka Beaulieu Porch has recorded a rather unusual album. One might think. Where have the ethereal floating sound collages gone? Everything is still there, but Sarum Sounds is probably the ''rockiest'' sound structure that Berry gives us to hear from his sound cosmos. And it's great. There's nothing more to say. Only...why isn't Berry already a star in the psychedelic sky tent? Does the expression 'sky tent' even exist in the English language? lol :-)  Enjoy. (Frank)

p.s. If you are interested in a good site for psychedelic music reviews and infos try Mark Barton's site:  marklosingtoday.wordpress.com

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Finest '60s British Mod, Pop Rock, Psychedelic Pop: Toby Twirl - Toby Twirl (2017 Mega Dodo Records)

Toby Twirl was a British mod band formed in 1968 that lasted about three years, chasing but never catching that elusive fame. In retrospect, they arrived on the scene too late, considering that music had exploded into many new directions at that time, rapidly distancing itself from the mod-pop of the mid 60s. Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour were already released, Cream had released Wheels of Fire and were breaking up, with Blind Faith appearing in 1969, Led Zeppelin had already released their first album, the Allman Brothers were gaining notice, King Crimson had made its debut, Krautrock was flourishing in Germany, and the Summer of Love and Woodstock with Joe Cocker’s debut was taking America by storm.

 I can imagine trying to compete in this new musical environment must have been difficult. Toby Twirl did their time playing live in multiple British clubs, playing mostly cover tunes with a handful of original songs. They were able to record a couple of 45 rpm singles, but never a full length LP. The band had made several demos and showcase recordings at various studios in the late 60s, but everyone thought that they had been lost forever. One day, drummer John Reed chanced upon a dusty box of reel-to-reel tapes in his attic that turned out to be tracks recorded by the band.

These tapes have been carefully restored and will be released in October 2017 as the first official Toby Twirl 180 gram LP. Side 1 features songs with vocalist Dave “Holly” Holland and Side 2 features vocalist Steve Pickering. The music will also be released on CD with three bonus tracks. The sound quality varies from the muffled “Toffee Apple Sunday” and “Hollies Medley,” the tinny “Baby What Good Is Love,” to decent studio recordings like “Movin’ In.” (excerpt by Henry Schneider's review 2017 on expose.org)

The band had talent and it's a pity that they didn't write more own songs . Anyway, this is a well done compilation about the work of the band. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Late '70s US Power Pop: The A's - The A's (1979 Arista) Vinyl

The A's were an American rock band consisting of Richard Bush (lead vocals), Rick DiFonzo (guitar), Rocco Notte (keyboards), Terry Bortman (bass), and Michael Snyder (drums). Formed in Philadelphia in 1978, the band released two albums on Arista Records: The A's (1979) and A Woman's Got the Power (1981).(wiki)

When punk rock exploded on the scene, the Sex Pistols brought it in with an angst, sense of rebellion, and shock value that became hard to match. The bands that followed worked in various segments of the genre, searching for an identity and individuality. This eventually gave birth to a style that became known as new wave. Still, the boundaries and sensibilities of that style were hard to define. The A's came out of this era, forging their own path. Along with groups like the Dickies, they combined the irreverence of punk rock with a fun sort of texture and a pop sensibility, and, most importantly, a sense of humor.

Their music forged a path that encompassed power pop, punk, and a retro, almost mod, texture. They did it with accessible hooks and catchy numbers. It is really a shame that this group never achieved the level of fame that they should have, because their musical sensibilities bordered on flawless. As a slice of time from this era, their debut release really works well to this day. The other thing about this album that really pleases is that it is just plain fun. This band is really one that should have been somebody, but seemed to have been caught in an awkward time of musical indecision. (Gary Hill, allmusic.com)

Why this band didn't make it will probably remain a mystery. Maybe because 'The Cars' were there first? Possible. The album is a fantastic Pop Wave album with great songs and brilliant guitar work by Rick DiFonzo. Highly recommended. Enjoy(Frank)

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Marvelous Power Pop; Paul Collins' Beat - To Beat Or Not To Beat + Long Time Gone (2004 Wounded Bird, 2on1)

An important early figure on the Los Angeles power pop scene, Paul Collins was a key member of two bands that anticipated the "skinny tie band" explosion of the late '70s and early '80s, the Nerves and the Beat. Born in New York City, Collins' father was a civilian who worked with the U.S. military, a job that kept his family on the move, and young Paul spent time in Greece, Vietnam, and Europe before ending up back in Manhattan at the age of 14. After graduating from high school, Collins studied composition at the Juilliard School of Music, but listening to AM radio and seeing shows at the Fillmore East had a greater impact on him, and in the early '70s he moved to California to pursue his musical vision of short, punchy rock songs with copious hooks.

In 1974, Collins met like-minded songwriters Peter Case and Jack Lee, and they formed a pioneering power pop band called the Nerves. Playing fast, ear-catching pop songs while wearing matching pink suits, the Nerves had more than a bit of the street energy that would later manifest in Los Angeles' early punk movement, and like the punks, the Nerves made their own opportunities when L.A. clubs didn't know what to make of them. The Nerves booked their own shows, did a nationwide tour of small venues on their own dime, and in 1976 put out a four-song 7" EP on their own label.

The Beat
While Blondie would have an early hit with a Nerves cover, "Hanging on the Telephone," the band broke up in 1978, and not long afterward Collins set out to form a new band. Hooking up with bassist Steve Huff, former Milk 'n' Cookies drummer Mike Ruiz, and guitarist Larry Whitman, Collins formed the Beat, whose tight, wiry hard-rockin' pop tunes picked up where the Nerves left off. Championed by Eddie Money, the Beat landed a management deal with West Coast rock powerhouse Bill Graham and a record contract with Columbia, releasing their first album (simply called The Beat) in 1979. While reviews were positive, for the most part American radio was still closed to "new wave" bands, and when the Knack broke through later the same year, it didn't help that the Knack sounded more than a little bit like the Beat -- leading some to believe Collins was copying a style he had helped to invent.

It wasn't until 1982 that Collins was able to release a follow-up, and thanks to the burgeoning popularity of the British ska band the Beat, The Kids Are the Same was credited to Paul Collins' Beat. Despite extensive touring, the album fared poorly with record buyers, and Columbia dropped the band; their next record, 1983's To Beat or Not to Beat, was an EP for the independent Passport label. The disc also featured a new lineup of the band, with only Steve Huff remaining with Collins from the first album, and another indie EP with a new version of the band, Long Time Gone, appeared in 1985.

Paul Collins
After a final studio album credited to Paul Collins & the Beat, 1989's One Night, Collins struck out on his own and released a pair of fine country-rock albums, 1992's Paul Collins and 1993's From Town to Town. By this time, Collins' work (especially his recordings with the Beat) had earned him a sizable fan following in Spain, and a live album from a Spanish tour came out in 1997 (a Spanish Beat gig was also given the live LP treatment in 1986). In 2000, Collins released a new album in Spain, and a new edition of the Beat toured the country in 2005, with a live album from the jaunt in the works. The full-length album Ribbon of Gold followed in 2008. In 2010, Collins returned with the tongue-in-cheek-titled King of Power Pop!, a return to the sound of the Nerves and the Beat recorded in Detroit with producer Jim Diamond. Collins toured extensively in support of the album, and returned to Detroit to record the like-minded follow-up, 2014's Feel the Noise.

Finest Power Pop. Highly recommended. Enjoy(Frank)

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Garage, Psychedelic, Pop: Liverpool Five - Arrive/Out Of Sight 1966/67 ( 1999 Rock-In-Beat-Records, 2on1)

The Liverpool Five is one 1960s band that is ripe for rediscovery. The fact that they've slipped through a few cracks may have to do with their odd history -- after starting out in England, the quintet spent most of a year in Germany and touring the Far East and effectively became an American group just as their recording history began in a serious way. Formed in Liverpool, England, in 1963, the original Liverpool Five lineup was Steve Laine on vocals, Ken Cox on guitar, Ron Henley on keyboards, Dave Burgess on bass, and Jimmy May on drums and vocals. They cut one single, "Lum D' Lum D' High" b/w "Good Golly Miss Molly," for the Pye Records budget Piccadilly label that was released in England, but their main base of activity in 1964 and 1965 appears to have been Germany and Asia, where their German-based manager kept them touring.

Original Front Cover

They managed to release a single of their own on German CBS in 1964 under the name of the 5 Liverpools, but otherwise were largely invisible as a recording act. After an extended tour of Asia, the group made their way to Los Angeles in 1965 and eventually ended up in Spokane, Washington. Ironically, it was on the far coast of the United States, far from their home, that they were finally signed to a major label in 1965 and got a contract with RCA-Victor Records.

Original Front Cover

The Liverpool Five released a half-a-dozen singles over the next two years and a pair of LPs, all of which displayed an extraordinary degree of musical dexterity -- they could sound as American as the Remains or the Standells in their approach to playing, -- a solid garage punk sound with some unusual melodic touches -- and then turn around and cut cockney novelties like "What a Crazy World (We're Living In)" or romantic rock ballads like their version of Curtis Mayfield's "That's What Love Will Do," where they sound like the Roulettes, and follow that with a shouter like "Just a Little Bit." Dave Burgess exited the group to get married in 1967 and was replaced by future Kingsmen member Freddie Dennis; Ron Henley left and was replaced first by Mark Gage and then by Gary Milkie, but the group soldiered on, scarcely skipping a beat.

 The band charted nationally only once, with a version of Chip Taylor's "Any Way That You Want Me," and left behind some other superb white soul sides that managed to embrace both American punk and British beat elements, before they finally called it a day in 1970. The Liverpool Five Arrive is one of the best garage punk albums of 1966, with a startlingly honest and vivid, soulful edge (highlighted by a beautiful handful of Curtis Mayfield covers) amid the fuzztone guitars and pounding, roaring rhythm section. Its follow-up, Out of Sight, is even better, with harder playing and better singing, laced with some unexpected lyricism. (Bruce Eder, allmusic.com)

Liverpool Five were a band that could easily keep up with their contemporaries. Mainly because of their musical versatility they were able to play a wide range of music on a high level. Liverpool 5 were a band that could easily keep up with their contemporaries. Mainly because of their musical versatility they were able to play a wide range of music on a high level.
Both albums were really good, even if some songs don't quite hold the good level. Nevertheless, this 2on1 compilation is absolutely recommendable.(Frank)...oops and not to forget...Enjoy.

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Again... Jimmy Page: Jimmy Page - Jimmy's Back Pages...The Early Years (1992 Sony Music)

Before joining the Yardbirds, Jimmy Page was Britain's premier session guitarist, guesting on innumerable dates from the Who and the Kinks on down to total unknowns. This 22-track compilation includes some of his more notable uncredited solos, when Page was the man to give a song or a session an extra lift with his licks. As you might expect, the quality is variable, encompassing charming but wimpy Merseybeat, energetic but generic covers of '50s rock classics, and sub-Stones R&B.

 There are some great moments here, though. The Primitives' sides are respectable raw British R&B, and Les Fleur de Lys are like a poppier Who. Page really lets rip on his solo for the First Gear's "Leave My Kitten Alone"; it's probably the best one he recorded prior to joining the Yardbirds. This also includes the rare single cut by Nico in Britain in 1965 before joining the Velvet Underground, which has a folkish sound in the vein of Marianne Faithfull; the A-side is a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Saying," of all things, and the B-side is a somber acoustic ballad co-written by Page himself. The set ends with its one smash hit, Donovan's "Sunshine Superman." (Richie Unterberger)

This compilation of works by Jimmy Page in the studio is very interesting for me, because it shows the more poppy style of Jimmy Page. What's noticeable is that Jimmy Page preferred a very traditional way of playing on pop songs as well. This compilation of session works is certainly the most poppy of Jimmy Page. I like it very much. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Beatlesque Pop Rock; Athanor - Flashback (2013 Guerssen)

Chicago, early '70s. Greg Herriges is obsessed with Lennon, 12-string guitars, and far-out psychedelic sounds. Rick Vittenson is a Beach Boys-Hollies-Who fanatic who writes for Crawdaddy! magazine. Both had previously played in several garage college bands during the '60s. Combining their mutual love for '60s music, Athanor was born.

 With the help of top studio musicians, they recorded and self-released three 45s between 1973 and 1975 (the first one produced by Mark Breyer, with whom Rick had played in pre-Skooshny band Brevity) which are now highly sought-after by fans of obscure psychedelic pop.

 All of them are featured here in stellar sound taken from the master tapes along with previously-unreleased studio tracks and superb-sounding home demos (1973-1981), plus a new song recorded in 2006 in the same vein as their vintage recordings.

Athanor's music features impressive songwriting and musicianship, a collision of Beatlesque harmony vocals, Rickenbacker and Guild 12-string guitars, occasional fuzz-wah leads, Fender Rhodes, and studio effects. Psychedelic proto power-pop highly recommended to anyone into Lazy Smoke, Badfinger, Only Ones, Emitt Rhodes, Rockin' Horse, or Creme Soda. (forcedexposure.com)

You can't get past the Beatles when you hear Athanor. Some things remind of Lennon influenced Beatles songs. But it's okay for me because I'm Beatles fanatic anyway and everything that sounds like well done, catchy pop/rock music (as in the case of Athanor) always wins with me. Recommendable. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Part Two of Broken Track 16 from the here posted album ''Key - Fit Me In'' 1978 (2007 Rev-Ola)

Broken Track 16 from the here posted album ''Key - Fit Me In'' 1978 (2007 Rev-Ola)

Hello, folks,
Here is the link for track 16: https://www57.zippyshare.com/v/IUFwPITA/file.html   The track is in mp3@320. (Thanks buckeye)  Here is an explanation why it's @320.

Peter wrote me today:

quote:  Frank,
to write it in English. There is no lossless version available. The quality on the CD is idendical to the quality on YouTube, i.e. lossy. The four bonustracks are demos and the quality isn't better available.
Regards - Peter

I didn't knew that until now either, but it's the way it is.:-)
best,
Frank

Links for Les Fleur Des Lys; SORRY, SORRY, SORRY!!!

Good morning folks and friends,
I'm very sorry, but I was in a hurry yesterday and was very busy that I didn't even notice that I didn't put the links on the blog. I usually get your comments from ''Blogger'' not before the next day, so i didn't notice it until this morning. Sorry for the inconvenience. The links are now up and i hope nobody of you have lost it's interest or fun. Wish all of yyou a nice day,

Frank